Gone...

#3 & #1 in summer mode

"Gone are the birds that were our summer friends." Longfellow

The swallows have departed.

A sure sign that summer is coming quickly to it's end

and autumn will soon follow.

The Blob...

Freshwater Bryozoan

...as found at the cottage shore.

There is always something to discover.

inukshuk [ɪˈnʊkʃʊk]:

A stone or stone structure (often in the shape of a human) used as a milestone or directional marker in Canada's far north. 

#3's creation, Lake Ontario, August 2011

...marking the way to September;

a 'new year' for our education-centric family.